MCSO: Deputy fired after claiming to be Giorgio Armani on Facebook

Published: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 5:14 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 5:14 p.m.

OCALA – A Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy with a history of misconduct was fired Wednesday for misbehaving while on suspension for another offense.

Jorge Velez, who has been a sheriff's deputy for five years, was terminated for violating the department's code of conduct after an internal affairs investigation concluded that his actions, while off-duty, “are a discredit to this agency and the occupation of a deputy sheriff.”

The investigation began in October when Inspector Mike Mongeluzzo, who investigates sex crimes, learned that Velez, 27, had met a young woman on his Facebook page, which lists his name as Giorgio Armani.

The woman told Mongeluzzo that while chatting with Velez, he told her his name was Jason Rosa and that he was 22. At the time, she said, she was 17, soon to turn 18.

After she turned 18, she told Mongeluzzo, they went to the Ocala Entertainment Complex and Velez brought her drinks and she became intoxicated. She said they went to a motel, had sex and spent the night together. She said she continued to see Velez between June and August 2012 and it was in August that she found out his real name and occupation. She told the inspector that when she learned the truth, she was upset, especially after discovering he was a deputy sheriff.

Leo Smith, who conducts internal affairs investigations, interviewed Velez, who said Giorgio Armani is his Facebook name and that he has had the account for four or five years and that a woman gave him the name years ago.

The Facebook page states he was a model and was born in Germany.

Velez told Smith he was a model a long time ago, but wasn't born in Germany. He said the reason he didn't use his real name was because he didn't want to “associate his work at the Marion County Sheriff's Office with his Facebook.”

When Velez was asked about the other name - Jason Rosa - he said he didn't want other women to know the young woman was seeing him and was afraid she might post his name on her Facebook page.

As for lying about his age, Velez said he wanted the woman to hang out with him. He denied buying her any drinks.

During his investigation, Smith learned that Velez had accessed a report by Mongeluzzo, which by then had been closed because the young woman did not want to continue with the investigation.

Velez told Smith the woman had told him about the investigation, but would not say who filed the report. Velez said that after seeing the files, he knew she had filed the charges.

While Mongeluzzo was investigating the case involving the young woman, Velez was on unpaid suspension after he was accused of taking a rod and reel in Crystal River and was charged with petty theft by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

The case was set for trial in November but the victim decided he would not attend the trial because he had moved and started a new job. The State Attorney's Office dropped the charge.

Aside from the code of conduct violation, Smith said Velez's access to the operations center with his key card while he was on unpaid suspension was a matter that fell under “policy failure” and “should be addressed.”

A review of Velez's personnel file outlined by Smith showed that the former deputy was the “top producer” in his district between 2010 and 2012. It also showed that from Nov. 1, 2008, through November 2012, Velez had multiple disciplinary actions, including several unpaid suspensions and some “very troubling” verbal counseling.

Last May, Velez was placed on five days unpaid suspension after he disobeyed an order to not work a special detail.

In February, he had received verbal counseling for his “continued lack of preparation in giving testimony during depositions to the point that assistant state attorneys became concerned and defense attorneys were alleging perjury.”

While working in the communications center in January 2009, Velez “failed to answer 911 calls promptly,” according to reports.

Before he was let go, Velez, sent a four paragraph letter dated Dec. 28 to Capt. Mike Rolls, assistant bureau chief for Community Policing. In the document, Velez talked about how some of his decisions throughout the year “have not been reflective on what this agency stands for in its core values,” to having been through trials and tribulations and becoming a changed person because of the birth of a daughter.

“I can assure you that I am humbly asking for forgiveness and a chance to show you as my fellow superior officers that my priorities have changed and I value this career not only for the sake of providing for my daughter but becoming the deputy that I know I can be and finishing the new goals that I have set for myself within the department,” Velez wrote.

At the time of his termination, Velez's salary was $31,443.84.

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